Farmstead Rocks Farm to Table ….

To the Farmstead we go, which is the name on the sign on Saint Helena’s Main St. sign that leads to Long Meadow Ranch, where they got a fantastic combo of a general store, restaurant, garden, barbecue and private dining areas. The Insider sat down on one of Farmstead’s patios and then toured the property with Exec Chef Stephen Barber.

Last night’s dinner? I was here, so I had a Brick Chicken with some grilled asparagus. Tasty, but still healthy.

Favorite music? A native of Kentucky, it wasn’t a surprise when Barber said he liked bluegrass the best, with a heap of good blues a close second. And there’s always good tunes playing throughout the Farmstead complex.

Favorite drink? As a native of Kentucky, again, it was no surprise that Barber liked, “high end bourbons.” Becky the bartender showed me a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle’s bourbon that goes for $145 a shot at the Long Meadow restaurant.

Favorite restaurant besides Long Meadow Ranch? Without a moment’s hesitation Barber says, “Miminashi in Napa. I just love all the different flavors, seasonal menu keeps changing, the yakatori… just a great, fun place to unwind.

Favorite thing about living in Napa? Again no hesitation… We’re just so lucky to have all these incredible food stuffs and wines, plus a sophisticated, local crowd who appreciates it.

Any brush with celebrity? Mike Mularkey, the Tennessee Titans head coach came in here last week. That was a kick. We’ve had others, but he was a fun,  nice and relaxed guy.

What makes a great restaurant? When you’re doing a farm to table restaurant like us, you got to listen to the ingredients and you got to listen to the customers. You got to make it fun for the diners, but listen… I’ve done some dishes that I thought we’re a home run, but got a little feedback and tweeked it a bit, and it flew…

Final thoughts? Just that I’ve loved my last six years here and look forward to a bunch more.